Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou could be set for a period struggle

Three successive manager of the month awards have been presented to Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou, but now could be the time to oppose Tottenham.

The club, for which a new word has been created to describe their ability to get into promising positions only to sh*t the bed soon after, could be in for a heavy fall after the international break.

What happens may not be described as 'Spursy', though the nature of their 2-1 defeat against Wolves on Saturday does fit that bill given the two goals conceded in added time, but there are reasons to believe this season's Tottenham could be brought back down to reality with a bang.

Spurs were overperforming

Even if we exclude the two defeats over the last two games, where some kamikaze defending and red cards saw Chelsea rack up 4.12 xGA, over the first 10 games of the season Tottenham's underlying data left plenty to be desired.

They ranked only 6th best for xGF per game (2.02), sixth best for xGA per game (1.29), sixth for xGD per game (+0.73) and fifth for xP per game (1.90).

Now, I will just state that these figures have taken a hit from the two defeats, but we are seeing that even before those losses, Spurs were fortunate to be so high in the table.

Leading the league was a stretch then, with Spurs performing more in line with a Europa League finishing side, though it is worth noting that those above figures are vastly improved on last season's efforts.

Thinning squad

With a thin squad already, a piling injury list is the last thing Spurs need.

James Maddison has been outstanding this season for his new club but is expected to be out until January, and it's the same for star centre back Micky Van de Ven, who has been sensational since arriving from Wolfsburg.

Ivan Perisic, Manor Solomon, Ryan Sessegnon and Richarlison are all long term absentees too, meaning the strain on Spurs' squad is increasing, and that's despite them playing only once a week.

Christian Romero is also suspended for two further games after his straight red against Chelsea. For a team who had such a settled starting XI for most of the season so far, the shuffling of the pack could prove problematic.

Postecoglou said as much in his post-match interview after defeat at Wolves; "We started well but we could have been a little bit more positive and aggressive with the ball. I’ve got to temper that with the fact we have had so many changes and we’re not going to get the same, especially when three of your back four are almost starting for the first time. We’ve had a particularly settled line-up. You could see they were feeling it towards the end."

Tough schedule

All of the above, coupled with their upcoming schedule means backing against Spurs in a tough upcoming schedule looks the way to go.

Three of their next four are at home, but it's the opponents that could prove problematic, with Tottenham hosting Aston Villa, visiting the Etihad, hosting West Ham before welcoming Newcastle.

The fact Romero misses the first two games against top teams is a huge blow, with Villa a streetwise team capable of picking apart Spurs' plan. Unai Emery's side can be backed at 7/4 to win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and that could prove value given they rank higher on every underlying metric that Tottenham so far this season.

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In the long term, the period between now and January could be a tough period for Spurs, with the intense, relentless style with which the play coupled with a thin squad and a congested Christmas schedule potentially leaving them looking up at the top four heading into the new year.

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